Lucius Malfoy's Grand Scheme
by Overhill
Summary: School governor Lucius Malfoy has plans to change Hogwarts; house-elf Dobby has his own ideas. First chapter: The Case Against Charity Burbage. (Sequel to "Lucius Malfoy's Favorite Charity")


_Thank you to my beta, gelsey!_

_..._

**The Case Against Charity Burbage**

**...**

Lucius was enjoying his solitude at the window as he watched the rain fall over the plains in the late afternoon. The low clouds blocked his view of Stonehenge, but the garden under his window brightened up as the streamlets ran down the walk. The air pressure in the room changed slightly, and then he heard the voices of Narcissa and Draco as they entered the house. The sounds were unintelligible through the doors, but he put down his tea cup and turned to them, a smile on his face for when the doors opened.

Dobby pushed the doors open for them, bringing with him the scent of rain with the day's purchases floating in the air behind him. Draco swore at the house-elf. "Why can't you stay invisible, like a regular house-elf?" he demanded. "All the house-elves at school do."

Dobby gave a frightened glance at Lucius. "Orders, young master Draco Malfoy," he sniveled. "Dobby must always stay visible when in the presence of Master Lucius Malfoy."

Lucius' smile tightened, "As indeed you must, Dobby. As indeed you must." He cut off Draco's next sentence by turning his attention to Narcissa. "And how was your shopping trip, my dear?"

She was clearly annoyed but took her time removing her coat. "Janus," she ordered. Her coat floated from her, buoyed by her own house-elf who remained invisible. Her packages floated away from Dobby's collection and disappeared through the doors that led to her rooms. Draco stood scowling at Dobby before kicking at him. Dobby winced just enough to miss the main force of the blow. "Well, don't just stand there, put my packages away." Dobby scuttled off, the packages sailing along behind him.

Narcissa removed her damp gloves as she sat next to the tea tray and poured herself and Draco a cup each. Draco took a biscuit and a cup and went over to the fireplace, his back to his parents. Lucius felt the tension, but he couldn't tell if it was about the trip, Draco, Dobby or himself.

Narcissa finished her tea and put the cup down. "I heard about the faculty changes at Hogwarts…." she began.

"Yes, the board has requested for Gilderoy Lockhart for the Defense Against the Dark Arts. My personal choice would have been Eldred Worple, but as Lockhart just has a new book coming out, all the attention was on him."

"It's not Lockhart I'm concerned about. It's Charity Burbage, who has tenure there now. You promised me that she'd be replaced. I refuse to have the School Governor's luncheon here if she is included."

Lucius gave his wife a patronizing looked. "My dear Narcissa, there is no way we would have it here in the first place, as Dumbledore would also have to be invited, so I can assure you that neither Muggle-lover will ever set foot in this house as long as I am the master of it." He put his own tea cup down. "Dobby, take away the tea."

Dobby reappeared at the door and tip-toed into the room, a frightened, wary look on his face.

"As for Miss Burbage receiving tenure, that is out of my hands as long as Dumbledore is headmaster. So the only thing to do is to remove Dumbledore. Remove him, Harry Potter is no longer under his protection, and neither are the Mudbloods. Dispose of the Mudbloods, put in a new, appropriate headmaster, revoke tenures and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry will once again the stellar institution that our son deserves."

"Dispose of Dumbledore? How can you do that, when all the other governors are practically his lapdogs?" Narcissa asked.

Dobby accidentally rattled a tea cup as he moved the set from the table. Lucius frowned at him. "Be sure to punish yourself for that," he coldly said. "Later. I don't want to be disturbed by the noise."

Dobby gave a worried glance at Lucius but got the tea set air borne and pointed its way to the kitchen. The tea set obediently drifted away.

"There are ways," Lucius said as he brought his chair over to Narcissa's. He sat in it, facing her, and took her hands in his. "Let's say that there's a problem at the school that Dumbledore can't take care of. And if he can't, then who is to protect students from whatever the problem is? Harry Potter? He's still a boy, and it was just pure luck on his part that he walked out of school this year."

"He wasn't even charged with the death of that teacher," Narcissa pointed out. "Neither of them. The Daily Prophet never said how he died—how can our Draco or any student be safe if Dumbledore and Harry Potter can kill a teacher and get away with it?"

Draco swung his seat around. "The fire needs more wood," he announced.

"Dobby," Lucius ordered as he let go of his wife's hands and stood up.

The house-elf waved his fingers over to the fireplace area and moved a log onto the andirons, taking only a few steps from his place by Lucius's chair.

Lucius proceeded to pace the room. "I was at the governor's meeting, and the blame went to a parasite Professor Quirrell picked up in his travels. Odd that the paper didn't mention it-it would serve as a warning to others to watch out when they're out of the country. I'll have to speak to someone at the Prophet about that. As for the school, I would like to have Muggle Studies completely eliminated, as it seems all it does is attract the incompetent."

"I don't see your point, even though I agree with it," his wife said.

"Quirinus Quirrell was the Muggle Studies teacher sometime before he became the Defense of the Dark Arts."

"Richard had him for astronomy in his first year," Draco announced. Dobby slunk back to his spot by Lucius's chair.

Narcissa threw Draco a sharp look of warning. Draco quelled back, as did Dobby.

Lucius pretended not to notice. "Well, then, of course he was a terrible teacher, doing so many subjects without any depth of knowledge of any of them. No wonder he picked up a parasite—he probably didn't even know he had one until it was too late. But after he took the astronomy class, Charity Burbage was hired by Dumbledore to fill the position. It was suppose to be a temporary position—I had someone from the Ministry in mind, but the rest of the board bowed to Dumbledore's wishes. Your dear Miss Burbage—"

"She was nothing more than a classmate of mine, and you know it, Lucius," Narcissa interrupted.

Lucius continued. "She always was a favorite of his, what with her summertime tours of Muggle London and her flittering about in her Muggle fashions. I remember her at school, too. I was concerned at one point that Severus was going to take a liking to her, but he had, and still has, more sense than that. She even tried to lead a field trip for the St. Mungo's children that last year, but I turned her down."

Draco, eavesdropping, sniggered loudly. Dobby glanced at him.

"So if anything—or rather, when anything—happens to the Mudbloods there at the school, we can be rid of all three—Dumbledore, Potter and Burbage. More, counting the Mudbloods. Happy, dearest?" he asked her as he sat back down in his chair.

"Quite," she replied.

"So what are you going to do, Father?" asked Draco.

"I have my plans, Draco. I have my plans. Now, let's see what you two bought at the shops today."

.


End file.
